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Winner of Best of Houzz for Design and Best of Houzz Service Award for 2022 - 2026!

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About Me
Services
- Home Reset Session
- Sensory Space Design
Portfolio
Blog
FAQs
Contact

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From blogger to stylist – how I’m creating my ideal life

05/10/2017

As you all know I love all things interior and it’s no lie that if I had twins I may have called them pattern and texture! But now my love for

When I design a space, I don’t start with what loo

When I design a space, I don’t start with what looks beautiful.

I start with what feels beautiful and work backwards from there. ❤️😌

Every texture, every scent, every detail at Nelson Bay Escape has been chosen through a sensory lens.

I believe that spaces we rest in should speak to us before we even realise they’re doing it. ✨

Bookings are opening soon, enquiries welcome via the link in bio 🔗@nelsonbay.escape

#sensorydesign #interiordesign #nelsonbay #airbnbdesign #restorativespaces

Most people redecorate when a space doesn’t feel r

Most people redecorate when a space doesn’t feel right. They add more…..more furniture, more art, more storage.

But the problem is rarely what’s in the room.

It’s what the room is doing to your nervous system.

Sensory design starts with feeling first. Always. 🤍

Free Sensory Design Guide in bio, it’s the perfect place to start. 🌿

#sensorydesign #intentionalliving #nervoussystemdesign #wellnesshome #interiordesignerportstephens

This was the moment I stopped clipping my own wing

This was the moment I stopped clipping my own wings 🦋

For a long time I convinced myself that wanting a big, beautiful, creative life was somehow too much. Too indulgent. Too impractical.

It wasn’t. It never was.

Today I felt a big shift. 😌🙏

And after a walk along the beach I decided to write about it.

About creativity, conditioning and coming home to the woman I was always meant to be.

This piece means a lot to me. I wrote it for every woman who has ever made herself smaller than she is.💗

My latest piece is live on Substack now. Link in bio. 🌿

#sensorydesign #substackwriter #selfexpressions #creativewomen

Coastal style doesn’t need a sign that says ‘gone

Coastal style doesn’t need a sign that says ‘gone fishing’ 🎣

It doesn’t need a starfish on the wall, a rope border around the mirror or a scatter cushion with an anchor on it.⚓️

Real coastal feeling isn’t decorated. It’s designed.

It lives in the weight of a linen throw. The warmth of a ceramic lamp. The way natural timber grounds a room without trying to announce itself.

It’s in the light you let in, the colours you don’t overdo, the textures that make someone run their hand along a surface without even realising they’re doing it.😌

Every piece coming into Nelson Bay Escape has been chosen with one question:

How will this make you feel?

Not does this look coastal?

Does this feel like exhaling? 😮‍💨

Because that’s the difference between a space that photographs well and a space that stays with you long after you’ve checked out. 🤍

Launching early September. Follow along. 🌿

@nelsonbay.escape

#sensorydesign #coastalinteriors #boutiqueaccommodation #interiordesign #nelsonbay

Rage designing my bedroom at 10pm because my flat,

Rage designing my bedroom at 10pm because my flat, cool bedroom wasn’t holding me anymore 🤣

No contractor. No budget blowout. Just a woman, a vision and a deep need for her space to actually feel like something.

Same bones. Same furniture. Completely different energy, through limewash paint, new lighting, switched up bedding and a rug that actually grounds the room.

Because here’s what I know to be true: when your environment doesn’t support how you want to feel, your nervous system will tell you.

Mine told me loudly. 😅

The transformation isn’t finished yet
but the vision is clear. And sometimes that’s exactly where it starts.

🎨 Limewash walls | 💡 New lighting | 🛏️ Layered linen bedding | 🪵 Warm textured rug

Save this if your space needs a reset too. ✨

#sensorydesign #interiordesign #ragedesign #wellnessathome #michellecannyinteriors

Something has been quietly taking shape behind the

Something has been quietly taking shape behind the scenes and I’m finally ready to share it.😉

A while back, my dad called me with an idea.

He has a beautiful apartment in Nelson Bay with ocean views 🌊, spa bath, a balcony that catches the most incredible light ☀️and he wanted to do something special with it.

So together we’re transforming it into something I’ve always dreamed of creating.

A sensory coastal retreat. Designed to make you exhale the moment you walk through the door.😌

Thoughtfully curated from the inside out and styled to feel as good as it looks.

If you want to follow the journey as it unfolds, come find us at @nelsonbay.escape 🌿

Official launch is 1 September. And I cannot wait to share every step of this with you. 💛

#nelsonbay #nelsonbayaccommodation #portstephens #coastalretreat #boutiqueaccommodation

Since returning home, I’ve found myself in a quiet

Since returning home, I’ve found myself in a quietly reflective space.

Emails from suppliers who’ve noticed my sensory approach and want to collaborate.

Messages asking me to run design tours. 😌

People reaching out for recommendations on spaces that feel a certain way. A student who wants to learn.🤎

None of it was chased. It found me.🙏

And it’s made me realise, the way I see spaces, the way I feel them before I design them, that’s not just how I work.

It’s who I am.😊

If you’ve ever walked into a room and felt something shift in your body before you could explain why, you already understand what I’m building. 🌿

If this resonates, I’d love to know……what does the space you’re in right now feel like to you?

#sensorydesign #intentionalliving #restorativespaces #designthatfeels #wellnessinteriors

I spent time in Bali recently and something stoppe

I spent time in Bali recently and something stopped me in every single space I walked into.

It wasn’t the architecture. It wasn’t the décor.

It was the light 💡

Filtered. Layered. Intentional.

Not a single harsh downlight in sight, just wall sconces, pendants, strip lighting tucked behind natural materials, and the most beautiful filtered natural light moving softly through the space.

And I felt it in my body immediately. A quietness. A sense of exhale. 😮‍💨

This is what so many homes are missing, not more furniture, not better styling but lighting that creates atmosphere rather than just illumination.

Your nervous system knows the difference even when your eyes don’t. 😌

If your home never quite feels as relaxing as a beautiful hotel or wellness space, start here. Look up. 🌿

Save this if it resonates and DM me the word LIGHT if you’d love to talk about how your space feels.

#sensorydesign #interiorwellness #restorativespaces #consciousinteriors #slowlivingathome

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Enhancing Wellbeing Through the Senses

What You’ll Learn:

How colour impacts mood and energy
Tips to reduce noise and create acoustic calm
The role of texture in comfort and grounding
Using scent to influence focus and relaxation
Simple ways to support mindful, sensory-friendly spaces

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